When Your World Shifts, Tag for Shot in the Dark
by Krypticmessage
Summary: What if it wasn't just a flesh wound? What If Shawn needed a transfusion, and the only one with his blood type is the one person who says he hates him? non slash T for mild language like in the show. R&R COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

When Time Slows.....

A/N I wanted a little extra in the BEST PSYCH EPISODE EVER...Shawn takes a shot in the dark....

What if it wasn't just a flesh wound? What if Shawn needed a transfusion and the only one with his blood type was the one person who supposedly hates him? ( No, it is not slash.) I'm taking free license with medical terms, so please don't post to tell me I'm wrong. This may be a little longer then a oneshot, IDK. R&R

Shawn's POV

"Shawn! Shawn!" Gus and Juliet practically sprinted up to me.

"Vin Desil!" I grinned slightly. "Look at you, man!"

Then, it felt like the whole world slowly began to freeze in time. I heard my father shout at me to lean against the car, saw Gus's panicky face, heard Lassie yell into his phone to get an ambulance fast, and Juliet go pale.

Then, I collapsed. I saw with almost a impartial interest that my shoulder was bleeding hard. I felt the warm blood slid down my chilled arm. I tried to open my mouth but I couldn't. I saw little dark rings grow around my eyes. They started getting bigger, blocking out my vision. Dad was cradling me, yelling at someone to hurry up.

I was touched that he actually cared about how I was doing. No. How I was dying.

_Don't think like that, Shawn. _I told myself sternly.

"Spencer! Stay with me, you got that?" I heard Lassiter's voice snapping at me. He sounded actually worried, scared even.

"We're going to have to ask you four to step back." I heard an unfamiliar voice said firmly.

"But he's my son!"

"And he's my best friend!" I hear Gus shout.

"And he's our collegue!" Jules's voice was harsher then I'd ever heard it.

"I don't care, we need room to work." The man's voice was a little softer. "We're taking him to Manorose's Memorial Hospital. All wounded police officers go there, as you two know. You can see him there."

I felt two pairs of strong hands lift me and place me on a stretcher. I expected it to hurt, but I was totally numb, like the time I had an accident with an Oragel tube...

I heard Dad shout to me that he was right there...but it sounded very faint.

Everything sounded faint, even the slamming of the abulance doors and the shreiking sirens.

I felt little tubes attached to my arm. I saw scared...nurses? EMTt's? ET'S? I was slipping away....I couldn't focus....I couldn't breathe....

Lassiter's POV

I started pacing in the hallway. The four of us had sat in silence for over an hour. The nurse said they were doing all they could, but Spencer had slipped into a coma.

_That dang kid. What was he trying to do? Get himself killed? You don't go to dark crime scenes alone! Everyone knows that. Even McNabb knows that! I knew one of these day he was going to get himself killed and there would be nothing I could do about it. Nothing I could do about it....Nothing....._

My shoes seemed to slap out the phrase over and over.

_Doesn't he know that things don't always work out like in those damn 80's movies he's always quoting....that dumb little annoying little....._

I couldn't continue, even in my thoughts. All the bad things I said about him came back in a flood. A guilty flood. How could I ever live with myself if Spencer.....died?

Gus's POV

I wished Lassiter would stop pacing. Pacong is something people do when they know something bad is going to happen. The doctors had tried to break it to us gently, but they had said Shawn had slipped into a coma and would have a hard time coming out. They would come back with more information when they had it.

"The family of Shawn Spencer?"

They must have more information.

"Us! That's us!" Mr. Spencer said hoarsly.

"You're....all family?" The nurse said with a side look at me and Juliet.

"Yes, we are." Jules snapped in a dont-mess-with-me-and-I-mean-don't voice.

"Well...the patient has slipped into a coma-"

"We know that!" Lassiter growled. "Tell us something new."

"As I was trying to say before I was so rudely inturupted...Shawn has lost a...monumental amount of blood. He desperatly needs a transfusion, but he happens to have a rare blood type and we just don't have enough here. Unless one of you happens to have AB negative blood, he may not wake up from this."

"Henry!" Jules spun to him. "You're his father! You have to have the same blood type!"

"No." Mr. Spencer barely got the word out. "He takes after his Mom in too many ways...she's the one with AB negative...I....I...." Suddenly, his eyes welled up.

"What about you, Gus?" She spun to me.

"I don't believe this....we took this test in third grade science...there is no way my blood can interact with his or he will have a total reaction that will probably kill him." I gritted my teeth once I knew there was nothing I could do...

"So...I know I don't have AB negative...I think I'm O positive or something like that...." She trailed off. "There's no hope, is there, Doctor?"

"I have the blood." We could hardly hear the whisper.

"What?" The doctor turned to Lassiter.

"I have AB negative blood type." His eyes were sort of glazed over with something like shock.

"Are you willing to donate your blood?" The doctor had his eyes locked on him.

Lassiter sank into a chair. There was a long pause as we waited for his answer.

Shawn's life was in the hands on a man who said he hated him.

Lassiter's POV

_I hold Spencer's life in my hands. I could kill him or let him live....the same Spencer who has wrecked my car, my image, almost gotten me killed, and messes with every case. Like that Bollywood thing. But he also is a collegue, a cop practically. He's also a living being. I....I have to make a choice right now. I don't know if I could live with him dying..._

_Carlton Lassiter, I'm shocked at you. (Great, now I'm talking to myself) There should be no choice to make. You know what answer you have to give. Just say it. Spencer could die while your sitting here running your mind. _

I opened my mouth and answered the doc.

"Just make it quick."

Jules' POV

"Just make it quick." W e heard Lassiter answer. I felt like crying with happiness. Shawn would be okay!

"That's excellent. But, not to raise any false hopes here, there is a 37% chance he still might not make it. But, those odds are small and Mr. Spencer is very healthy other then the wound." The doctor flipped the chart. "We think that he so healthy because of all the pineapple he eats. Very healthy food."

"Doc?" We heard Lassiter speak again.

"Yes?"

"Just do the damn transfusion."

Henry's POV, two hours later.

"The transfusion went very well, and he's awake in a matter of speaking."

"What do you mean, a matter of speaking?" I snapped.

"Well, he's still groggy. He's mumbling something over and over. He's asking us to play chess."

We all exchanged looks.

"Were his exact words 'How about a nice game of chess?' " Lassiter asked, rubbed the Band-Aid over his shot site. Apparently he had given a lot of blood.

"Why...yes!" The nurse smiled. She was a lot better then that fool calling himself a doctor.

We all smiled.

"It's a line from _War Games." _Jules clarified for the nurse.

"Ohhhh...." Her face showed she had no idea what we were talking about. "Anyway, we want to keep him for a couple days, but he should be home be the end of the week. You know Mr....Lassiter?" She looked at a chart.

"_Detective, _Lassiter." He corrected.

"_Detective_ Lassiter, he would have died without that blood. You saved a life today. Remember that." She smiled at him.

"I'll remember that the next time he pulls some charade." He snorted.

"Oh, admit it, Carlton. You're glad he's still alive. Why else would you have given him blood?" Jules asked.

"Because I couldn't just stand by and let him die after I admitted I had AB negative blood."

"You didn't have to tell us you had AB negative blood."

"It just came out."

"Stop fighting, you two." I rolled my eyes. "Nurse, can we see him now?"

She paused. "I think that will be alright."

Shawn's POV

Ouch. My shoulder hurt, even through the painkillers. Plus, the t.v. was broken. How was I supposed to stay alive if I died of boredom?

Just when I htought I couldn't stand it anymore, the door swung open.

"Dad! Gus! Jules! Lassie! Chief! Abs! What are you doing here?"

"We just wanted to wish you well from the SBPD." Chief Vick smiled at me and patted my arm. "Am I right in assuming that you'll need a sick leave?"

"Well, I'm not sick...just shot." I grinned.

She laughed. "Well, I'll make sure you get a shot leave. How's that?" She smiled again and set a pineapple with a red bow on it by my bed. There was a little get well soon card attatched to it signed by all the Department.

"Tell everyone thanks, Chief."

She nodded. "Will do."

She left quietly. It seemed that they had worked this out before hand, everyone taking turns at wishing me well.

Next was Abigail.

"Oh, Shawn! I'd hug you but I think I'd hurt your shoulder." Her eyes were filled with pain. "Mental hug." She smiled.

_Why is everyone smiling so much? And why am I so tired?_

"Thanks, Abigail."

"Shawn, I want to stay with you but I have to work..." Her eyes were guilty.

"I understand, Abs."

She bit her lip a second then leaned over and gave me a light hug.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Ditto." I said, reliving _Ghost_ for a second.

Then she left.

_At first there were 6...then there were 4...._

"Shawn? I just want you to promise never to scare me like that again." Jules said, smiling with her lips, but her eyes had something else in them. I wouldn't flatter myself into thinking it was love, but I couldn't be 100% sure it wasn't.

"I promise."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if I break that promise, what are you going to do? Shoot me?" I grinned.

She lightly smacked my shoulder and gave me a light hug too. But unlike Abigails hug, I wanted this one to last longer. Much, much longer.

She pulled away and set a box of chocolate down next to the pineapple.

"Bye, Shawn."

Then she was gone.

Lassie cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well, Spencer, The PD wants you to start theorizing on a case right now, if you can. It will give you something to do. Here's a case file with your name on it."

"What case?"

He grinned. "Oh, this one's a beauty."

I opened the file. "A circus? Why don't you just call Britney Spears?"

He rolled his eyes. " Someone stole a very expensive Siberian tiger. Maybe you can 'Channel' or what ever you do-"

"He died and they're trying to cover it up and rip off the insurance company."

"What?"

"Check the acrobats trailer."

"Ooookay.' H elooked confused.

"Here, take this back." I handed him the file. I noticed he was favoring his arm. I felt guilty. Maybe he got hurt saving me....even though I saved myself really...

"See you around, Spencer." He headed to the door.

"Oh, Spencer?" He turned back.

"What?"

"Nice shooting." He left.

_And then there were 2...._

Gus almost crushed my arm and then started babbling about how sorry he was that he didn't get my call sooner and how he felt awful about not being there.

"Gus, Buddy, it's fine. I'm glad you weren't there. You'd have got shot too, and then who would have any fun?" Gus did his funny little sideways nod thing.

"Gus, I want you to tell me the truth about something though."

"What?"

"Am I going to have to tesify at a trail or something?" The underlying question was '_Am I going to have to face the man who almost killed me again?'_

He looked away breifly.

"Shawn...there's not going to be a trail."

"What? Did he get let go?" _Is he still out there? _

"No. He ..hung himself."

"He did what!?"

"That's what the official report says..."

"Did the PD have something to do with that?"

"Who knows? He was found in his cell an hour ago." Gus smirked. "Cops don't like it when someone shoot one of thier own, Shawn. And you're one of them."

"That doesn't make it legal for them to kill him..."

"Who said they killed him? He hung himself."

"Riiight." I rolled my eyes.

"Do you need anything, Shawn?"

"You pulling out too?"

"Nope. Your dad and I are staying here."

"Good." I closed my eyes and leaned back.

"Gus, I would love a cup of coffee." I heard Pops say.

"Sure, Mr. Spencer."

"Gus, for crying out loud. It's Henry." But Gus was already down the hall.

A moment of silence hung in the room before Dad spoke.

"Shawn-"

"Dad, I don't need a lecture. I know I did something stupid and I'm paying for it."

"That wasn't what I was going to say at all, Shawn."

"No?"

"No. I was going to say...I'm proud of you. You kept your head and thought logically."

Another pause.

"That's it? Nothing else?" I said dryly.

"I love you, Shawn. You're my only kid. I wish I could say something meaningful but I've never been good at sentiment."

"So no Obi Wan moment coming on, right?"

"No Obi Wan moment."

"Or Yoda."

"Or Yoda."

"Or a 'Shawn, I am your father' moments, either?"

"No. Because I'm not your real father."

I sat straight up. "What!?"

"Just lightening the mood."

"Well, don't." I leaned back again and tried to find a position that didn't hurt. Ha.

"Shawn, there's something you should know about your operation-"

Henry's POV

I watched his face after I told him Lassiter saved his life. He got his typical confused face on: partially open mouth, utter WTH written on his face and eyebrows raised.

He was silent a moment then spoke.

"So, what, do I send him a thank you card?"

"Shawn!"

"Seriously. What am I supposed to do with this information?"

"I don't know. But just remember the next time you're about to pull something on him that he's the reason you're alive to pull your little stunts."

He slumped back.

"Wierd, you know? The man who I thought would kill me....saved my life."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

A/N If I get good reviews, I'll do an aftermath chapter. Depends, though. And no, for my dear readers, that was not slash. If you percieved it as such....so be it.

So, if you enjoyed, cliky the little greeny button right below! =)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N I wasn't going to continue this, but my friend Kenners (Sorry, his name is Kenneth, and I call him Kenners) flat out ordered me to post more chapters, and you all reviewed, so here it is!

Shawn's POV

I couldn't shut my eyes. It was12:04 a.m., according to my iPhone's clock. Gus had sneaked it to me while the nurses were gone. I wasn't aware that 12:04 could be an a.m. time.

_Shawn, you need to go to sleep. _I heard a little voice nag at me. It was the same little voice that told me not to go to that...I can't even think it. That place again. The one that told me to stay at home and wait for backup to come with me. Maybe I should listen to that little voice more.

I closed my eyes. In ten seconds the images came.

_"What do you care? You're dead."_

_Struggling against 'Longmore' while my father and Lassie walked away...leaving me. _

_Having to tell Jules the truth, but as a lie. I did love her. I __**do**__ love her. And that's why I have to let her go. She deserves someone better then me..._

I snapped my eyes open. _ I can't do this to myself. I _have_ to sleep. _

I glanced over to where up until an hour ago, Gus and Pops were sitting. I told Gus to go home and get some sleep and go to work in the morning. He didn't want to go, but I had the nurse drag him out. I wasn't going to make my best friend suffer too. That's not what best friends do.

Pops had been removed as well, even more violently. But it was something that had to be done.

_And then there were none. _

I watched the shadows on my ceiling dance around. I heard gurneys and nurses go by my door. There was almost a poetry to being in a hospital. Almost.

I had no idea how long I spent staring up at nothing before I dozed off.

A sudden noise brought me to senses. The door was opening. A large shape filled the door. A hand raised a gun at me. The gun fired. I felt it hit my chest again. I felt the blood again. The terror brought about by the knowledge I wouldn't see the next sunrise...

My eyes shot open. My mouth felt cottony and dry, and my shoulder hurt like hell, but other then that, I felt fine. There was no gun, no dark figure, and no bullets.I saw the sun come up slowly through my window while I tried to calm myself.

I had been through a lot. This was just another scar to show off to the ladies. That was how I had to think about this. Just another story to chalk up in my book. My last story. I couldn't deal with this anymore-

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by my door opening. I was expecting Abs or Gus to come in, hopefully holding real food.

It was Lassiter.

He looked extremely uncomfortable. A little too late, he tapped the door with his knuckles.

"Can I come in?"

I nodded. "Sure."

He walked over to my bed, hands clenched around a file. "How?"

Lassiter's POV

"How?" It wasn't what I meant to say, but it came out anyway. It was a better starting point.

"Quite handsomely, and with amazing hair." His answer came instantly. "What did I do?"

"Figured it out?" I held out the picture of the acrobat's trailer. We found a freshly made white tigerskin rug. The acrobat cracked and admitted everything. "How could you tell from a photo?"

"I didn't." He tapped his forehead. "I figured it out from here. And here." He tapped near his heart. "And occasionally here." He pointed to his stomach.

"Don't give me that, Spencer." I heard the annoyance come through my voice. "You are no more psychic then that IV tube."

"Actually, this IV tube is quite offended. She told me to tell you that she has seen more pain and suffering then any other IV her age." He paused. "No, Bonny, I'm not telling him that." He paused again. "Such language for one so young."

As he carried on a conversation with the plastic bag, I was impressed again by his acting skills. Any other man would have been found out by now. Either Hollywood lost a treasure or he really was psychic. Or the luckiest man alive.

I shook my head and cut off his next retort. " Spencer, shut up."

To my shock, he obeyed. He eyed me expectantly.

"What?" I asked.

"Lassie, Lassie, Lassie." He shook his head. "You didn't come down here just to ask me how I solved a case, did you." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"Well-" I paused.

"You care, don't you?" His eyes went wide. "You wanted to see how I was doing?" He grinned widely.

"What? Don't be stupid." I growled. Damn. The man _was _psychic.

I couldn't help it. Over the years the runt had grown on me. Like mold. It occurred to me while giving blood how quiet the station would be without him. Of course, after I thought that I almost stopped the nurse from taking my blood. Then I realized how much the whole PD depended on him for assistance, unconventional approaches and comic relief. He had almost become a mascot for the department; his ability to always come out smelling like a rose was a morale booster for everyone. We would be lost without him. _I_ would be lost without him.

This only took me a second to think all this. and from the look on the younger man's face, he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"Okay, maybe I care a little bit. O'Hara would kill me if I didn't send her a report." I tried to cover my face in my usual mask, but it didn't work.

"By the way, Lassiter." Shawn's eyes were on the wall behind my head. "Thanks. For saving my life."

"In the line of duty." I said gruffly. "You're welcome."

"Does this mean we're blood brothers or something?"

"God no!"

An awkward silence lasted a couple seconds.

"So..." I trailed off.

"How?" It was he saying it this time.

"With two guns and a badge." I retorted. "What did I do?" _Deja vu..._.

"How do you go out there every day, knowing you could die at any second?" There was no trace of humor in his voice. "How do you do it?" He met my gaze.

I paused. "Look out that window." I pointed.

He looked out. We saw an elderly woman crossing a street, assisted by a Boy Scout. A business man walked down the sidewalk, holding a briefcase. A woman was idling at the red light, talking to her teenage son in the passenger seat.

_"_I do it for them. I know that I'm helping people. Every scum bag I take off the streets is one less scum bag that's going to hold up a grandmother, kill a father, beat a kid." I stopped. "I can't think about me. I'm not important. _They._"I gestured at the people. "They are important. If I take a bullet for them, so be it." I folded my arms. "Every murderer, thief, or kidnaper you catch you save one life, Spencer. You may not have a badge-Thank God-but you're a officer nonetheless."

He cocked his head again. "You mean that?"

I nodded. "You better not quite because of this."

He smiled weakly. "I won't."

I stood, ready to go.

"Lassiter?" Spencer said calmly. "Thanks. For everything."

"No prob."

"Tigerskin clashes with southwestern."

I frowned. "What?"

Shawn pointed to the evidence pictures. "The tigerskin clashed with the boots and peppers in that trailer. That's how I knew. I'm not a psychic. I just see things."

I was right! Shawn Spencer was a fraud; he wasn't psychic, he was hyper observant. But I didn't feel the elation I should have.

"You can tell the chief I'm fake if you want." Spencer's voice was quite. "I owe you something."

I thought for a second. "Tell you what. If we never bring up what we discussed today, and if you don't tell anyone about the snow-globe thing, I'll let it go."

He smiled. "So everything goes back to normal?"

"Yep. I need someone to compete with." I extended a hand to shake. " As far as anyone else knows, we're back to our usual selves. Deal?"

"Deal." He brought his fist up.

"I thought Gus was the only one that got a fist bump?" I said jokingly.

"I think I can make one exception." Shawn grinned.

We bumped fists.

3 months later

Gus's POV

"Spencer, I don't want you anywhere near the Dorman case. Smuggling rubies is nowhere near your expertise. Got it?"

"Sure, Lassie."

"What? No argument?" Lassiter's face was pure shock.

"No, you're right. In fact, I got you a present to celebrate your birthday."

"My birthday was six months ago."

"Oh well. Happy Belated Birthday. It's on your desk."

Lassiter's face went white. He hurried over to his desk.

"Spencer! Get this thing off my desk!" Lassiter's face was almost purple.

"I told you not to put that Adam Lambert album on his desk." I told Shawn matter-of-factly.

Shawn grinned. "I just know he sings _What do You Want From Me_ before he comes to work."

"Shawn..." I shook my head. "He saved your life. Don't you owe him something?"

"Nope." My best friend grinned and started walking out of the station.

My fears Shawn would quit after getting shot were apparently unfounded. As soon as he got out of the hospital he had been right back in the swing of things. Including tormenting Lassiter. I noticed he had slipped the file Lassiter had put down under his coat. I guessed we had a new case.

"O'Hara! Can you come get this off my desk, please? I won't touch it." I heard Lassiter call behind me. "And where is the Dorman file?"

A short pause.

"Spencer! That's police property!"

We hurried to the car and peeled out -after putting on our seat belts and checking our mirrors- of the parking lot.

We saw Lassiter run out of the station.

"Spencer! Bring that file back!"

Yep. Everything was back to normal.

_In between the lines there's a lot of obscurity,  
I'm not inclined to resign to maturity,  
If it's all right, then you're all wrong,  
But why bounce around to the same damn song?  
You'd rather run when you can't crawl._

I know, you know, that I'm not telling the truth.  
I know, you know, they just don't have any proof.  
Embrace the deception, learn how to bend,  
Your worst inhibitions tend to psych you out in the end.

A/N **Well, there you have it. Thanks for reading such a long post, and sorry, I really did think I posted this months ago. Oops. Please review, I'm not sure if I like it or not. It is finished, however. Here would be the credits:**

**Written by Krypticmessage**

**Starring the cast of Psych**

**All events, characters , and places are fictitious, **

**Krypticmessage does not own Psych **

**Dedicated to all our servicemen and women who put their lives on the line everyday. Thank you. **

**See you all soon, with a new story (or actually finish some of my others! ;-} ) **

_.  
_


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